Breakfast links: Purchase power

It’s quite fare

A WMATA Board committee tenta­tive­ly approved a fare increase which will eliminate “peak-of-the-peak” and add a $14 all-day pass. Changes would take effect July 1. (Examiner) Twitter

Never mind the fines

Secondhand shops with the wrong business license have gotten a reprieve by DCRA, which will give shops 45 days (up from 7) to comply, and help businesses get the correct license. (City Paper) Twitter

More on the height limit

Raising the height limit downtown could make office rents cheaper and protect adjacent neighborhoods from pressure to become part of downtown. Allowing taller buildings elsewhere might not have much effect. (RPUS) Twitter

Think regional?

The sprawling Greater Washington area would certainly benefit from economic cooperation, but its balkanized governance structure breeds competition among jurisdictions, and maybe that’s not such a bad thing either. (City Paper) Twitter

Streetcars and bikes don’t mix

As DC builds its streetcar system, it must be mindful of bike safety, since streetcar tracks can pose a threat. Even in Portland, 67% of cyclists have had a crash on the tracks. (TBD) Twitter

Existential transformations

The major changes along the H Street Corridor are causing residents and business owners to ponder race, culture, and what it means to be a neighbor when you’re new to a place, and what it means to be one when you’ve never lived anywhere else. (Frozen Tropics) Twitter

Rail demand just keeps rising

Amtrak ridership is way up over last year, and Virginia ridership is far above even that. Ridership between DC and Lynchburg is up 27%, and is up 16% between DC and Newport News. (Railway Age) Twitter

Bikes rule Mexico City Sundays

Every Sunday morning, Mexico City closes down its major thoroughfares to cars and opens them to cyclists and pedestrians, improving the city’s quality of life while building support for more bike lanes. (Post) Twitter

David Edmondson is a transportation and urban affairs enthusiast working on his master’s in city and regional planning at Cornell University. He blogs about Marin County, California, at The Greater Marin.